July 18, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the applicable State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the State of Texas that relate to severable portions of the definition of ``modification of existing facility'' in the general definitions for the Texas NSR Program. EPA proposes to find that these changes to the Texas SIP comply with the Federal Clean Air Act (the Act or CAA) and EPA regulations, and are consistent with EPA policies. EPA is also proposing to withdraw an action proposed on September 23, 2009, regarding two provisions that have been superseded by later submitted revisions. EPA is taking this action under section 110 of the Act.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of country-by-country allocations of additional fiscal year (FY) 2011 in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for imported raw cane sugar. USTR is also reallocating a portion of the unused original FY 2011 TRQ.

This rule increases the desirable carryout used to compute the yearly trade demand for Natural (sun-dried) Seedless (NS) raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for California raisins (order). The order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California and is administered locally by the Raisin Administrative Committee (committee). This rule increases the amount of tonnage available early in the season when volume regulation is implemented, and is expected to help the industry meet its market needs.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This proposed rule would revise the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this proposed rule, we describe the proposed changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare hospital outpatient services paid under the OPPS. These proposed changes would be applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2012. In addition, this proposed rule would update the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this proposed rule, we set forth the proposed relative payment weights and payment amounts for services furnished in ASCs, specific HCPCS codes to which these proposed changes would apply, and other proposed ratesetting information for the CY 2012 ASC payment system. These proposed changes would be applicable to services furnished on or after January 1, 2012. We are proposing to revise the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program, add new requirements for ASC Quality Reporting System, and make additional changes to provisions of the Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. We also are proposing to allow eligible hospitals and CAHs participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program to meet the clinical quality measure reporting requirement of the EHR Incentive Program for payment year 2012 by participating in the 2012 Medicare EHR Incentive Program Electronic Reporting Pilot. In addition, we are proposing to make changes to the rules governing the whole hospital and rural provider exceptions to the physician self-referral prohibition for expansion of facility capacity and changes to provider agreement regulations on patient notification requirements.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as: